India e-Arrival Card for OCI holders: 2026 UK guide

India has replaced the paper arrival card — the disembarkation form handed out on flights since the 1960s — with a digital e-Arrival Card. Since 1 April 2026 it applies to all foreign passport holders arriving in India, and the change that matters most for our clients is this: Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders are no longer exempt. If you are a UK OCI holder flying to India, this is a new step to know about before you travel.

This guide explains what the e-Arrival Card is, the key change for OCI holders, when and how to file it from the UK, and how it sits alongside the other pre-travel forms. Confirm the current rule on the official Bureau of Immigration channels before you fly, as government requirements can change.

What is the e-Arrival Card?

The e-Arrival Card is the online version of the immigration arrival card that international passengers used to fill on paper. It is handled by the Bureau of Immigration (Ministry of Home Affairs) and collects your personal, passport, flight, and India-stay details. It is an immigration form — separate from any health declaration.

After you submit it, the system generates a QR code. You present that QR code — on your phone or printed — at the immigration counter on arrival. There is no fee, no documents to upload, and the form takes around five minutes to complete.

The key change for OCI holders

Until recently, OCI cardholders were treated differently from other foreign nationals at the arrival-card stage. That changed with a government regulation dated 4 October 2025: OCI cardholders are now included and file the e-Arrival Card like other foreign passport holders. The requirement came into force from 1 April 2026.

In short, holding an OCI card no longer skips this step. Indian passport holders (Indian citizens) are not asked to file it — but as an OCI holder travelling on a foreign passport, you are now in scope.

When to file it — the 72-hour window

The e-Arrival Card is filed online within 72 hours (three days) before your flight to India. The window opens 72 hours before departure and closes when you arrive, so the practical approach is to complete it once your travel is confirmed and you have your flight and India-stay details to hand.

Because it only takes a few minutes and needs no uploads, filing it the day before you fly — when your details are settled — is a sensible routine. Leaving it to the airport adds avoidable stress.

How to file it from the UK

There are three official routes to file the e-Arrival Card: the Bureau of Immigration website, the Indian Visa Online portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in/earrival), and the government's Su-Swagatam mobile app. Any of the three produces the same result — a completed arrival card with a QR code.

One practical point catches people out: once you submit, download or screenshot the QR code straight away. If you close the browser without saving it, it can be difficult to retrieve. Keep the QR code with your boarding pass and OCI documents so it is ready at the immigration counter.

e-Arrival Card vs the health declaration (Air Suvidha)

It is easy to confuse the e-Arrival Card with the health self-declaration, but they are different forms run by different ministries. The e-Arrival Card is an immigration form (Bureau of Immigration). The Air Suvidha health self-declaration and its paper version, the Self-Declaration Form (SDF), are health declarations (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare).

Depending on the rules in force when you travel, you may complete both — the e-Arrival Card for immigration and the health declaration if a health requirement is active. Our separate guide covers the Air Suvidha health declaration and the SDF in detail.

What else OCI holders should check before flying

The e-Arrival Card is one of a small set of things to line up before an India trip on OCI. The other key one is your OCI linking: your OCI should be linked to the passport you are travelling on, and an OCI still showing an old passport number can cause questions at the immigration counter. Carry your physical OCI booklet — the booklet is what is accepted for travel.

If you have renewed your UK passport and not yet linked your OCI, sort that before you travel. Matrix Solutions prepares OCI Link (£100, online) and the OCI Passport Details Update (£125, online) and can confirm what your case needs.

How Matrix Solutions helps

Matrix Solutions supports UK OCI holders and travellers with the full pre-travel picture: confirming whether your OCI is linked to your current passport, preparing OCI Link or the OCI Passport Details Update where needed, and pointing you to the right official channel for the e-Arrival Card and any health declaration. WhatsApp us your travel date and OCI details and we will confirm what to complete before you fly.